Alternate Path
by Belle Leia Organa
Summary: The events on Mustafar do not go the way any of them planned. Realising Obi-Wan is willing to kill Anakin without a moments hesitation, Padmé quickly helps Anakin defeat him. Now, the two of them plan to end Sidious' life once and for all. What does this mean for the galaxy? Will Padmé and Anakin be able to lead the new empire? Or, will Palpatine once again ruin their lives?
1. Chapter 1

**_Alternate Path_**

 ** _Chapter 1:_**

Padmé rested her head against her hand. She knew she had to calm down. She could not reason with Anakin properly, if she let her frustration get in the way. Just then, she saw a dark shadow emerge out of the building in front of her. _Anakin!_ She silently gasped, as she saw him remove his hood.

Once she saw him rushing towards her, Padmé quickly turned her seat around and headed out of the ship. Racing down the ramp, she saw Anakin approaching the platform. Then, the two of them literally ran into each other's arms.

"I saw your ship," Anakin sighed, as they slowly broke apart. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was so worried about you!" Padmé blurted, trying to think of the right words to say. "Obi-Wan told me terrible things."

"What things?" Anakin questioned, the tone in his voice instantly changing.

"He said that you turned to the dark side. That you… _killed younglings!_ " she exclaimed, not believing her own words.

"Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me," Anakin stated, flatly.

"He cares about us," Padmé sighed.

"Us?"

"He knows," Padmé explained, nodding her head. "He wants to help you."

Anakin smirked, when he heard that. Padmé clearly didn't know Obi-Wan as well as he did.

"Anakin, all I want is your love."

"But, love won't save you, Padmé! Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost? You're a good person! Don't do this!"

"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother," Anakin stated. "I have become more powerful than any jedi has ever dreamed of. And I'm doing it all for you. To protect you."

"Come away with me," she started, wrapping her hands around his head. "Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind, while we still can!" she cried, stroking his face.

"Don't you see? We don't have to run away anymore," Anakin beamed. "I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the chancellor. I…I can overthrow him!" he exclaimed, as Padmé started backing away. "And together, you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be!"

"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Padmé stammered, shaking her head. "Obi-Wan was right. You've changed!"

"I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan," Anakin snapped, shaking his hand. "The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me!" he hissed, in a threating tone.

Padmé was utterly flabbergasted. _How could he possibly believe she would ever turn against him?_ "Anakin, I would never..." she exclaimed, as she saw the pain swelling in his eyes. By that look alone, she knew he was hurting. He had been fooled just as much as they all had. More than anything, she wanted to hold him. Cradle him. Make all his pain disappear. But, the mere notion of ruling the galaxy, made her cringe. "I don't know you anymore! Anakin…you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow."

Those words hit Anakin to the core. He hated seeing her like this. How he wished he could just caress her. Reassure her everything was all right. But, as Anakin met her eyes. He knew he couldn't. "Because of Obi-Wan?" he wondered.

"Because of what you've done! What you plan to do," Padmé huffed. "Stop. Stop now! Come back! I LOVE YOU!" she cried.

For a moment, it seemed as though she got through to him. She saw the tension lowering in his expression, and tears starting to form.

"LIAR!" Anakin suddenly cried out, shaking Padmé to the core.

 _I would never lie to him! How could he even think that?_ Then, it hit her… _Obi-Wan!_ _He must have followed me._ Already knowing what she'd see, Padmé turned to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway of her ship. _That bastard! He tricked me! No wonder Anakin thinks I'm a liar._ "NO!" Padmé shrieked, taking a few steps back as Anakin approached her.

"You're with him! You brought him here to kill me!" Anakin screamed, pointing angrily at her.

 _"Never!"_ Padmé almost fainted, when she saw how yellow his eyes were. Her fears had become reality. Palpatine! That damn old man. This was all his fault! He had truly mind poisoned Anakin's mind, and she was the reason why all this happened. How could she have been so blind?! All along, she knew how evil he was. Yet, she still encouraged Anakin to stay close to him. She would never forgive herself for that!

Just as she started to speak, she heard Obi-Wan gasping for breath. Padmé turned to see him clutching his neck. "Anakin," she murmured, as she saw his outstretched hand. He was choking him.

"You turned her against me!" Anakin bellowed, as Obi-Wan struggled to reply.

"No, Anakin! I would _never_ do anything to harm you!" Padmé exclaimed. "Obi-Wan tricked me."

Hearing those words made Anakin even more outraged. "You will not take her from me!" he shouted, tightening his grip.

Obi-Wan's face started turning blue. Padmé knew she had to stop him from killing him.

"Anakin, let him go. I beg you!" she pleaded, rushing towards him. "He's not worth it!" Seeing that his grip wasn't loosening, Padmé knew she had to act fast. "Anakin, he may have betrayed our trust, but he doesn't deserve to die. Let him go. _Ani, please!"_ she shouted, clutching his arm. "You're better than this!"

In an instant, Anakin released Obi-Wan from his grip. Letting him fall harshly to the ground.

Obi-Wan could barely feel his throat. He couldn't even feel air in his lungs. Now, he knew exactly what Anakin was capable of in this state. He truly was a Sith lord. As soon as he tried to breathe, he began coughing violently.

"Are you all right?" Padmé asked, as she slowly walked towards him.

"Barely," Obi-Wan blurted, as he started to pick himself up.

As much as she hated seeing Anakin hurt him, Padmé knew he deserved it. He had used her to find Anakin. She was nothing more than a means to kill him. What kind of monster was he? "You tricked me!" she screeched, angrily glaring at him. "I was just pawn to help you find him!"

"I had no choice, Padmé," Obi-Wan stated, glaring back at her. "Anakin is no longer on our side. He has been corrupted by the dark lord."

"Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan," Anakin blurted, taking off his robe. "I see through the lies of the Jedi. I have brought peace, justice and security to my new empire," he declared, happily turning towards Padmé.

"Your new empire?" Obi-Wan questioned, utterly shocked by his words.

"Don't make me kill you," Anakin threatened, pulling Padmé close.

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic. To democracy!"

"If you're not with me… then you're my enemy!" Anakin huffed, letting go of Padmé.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes," Obi-Wan winced, as he took off his robe. "I will do what I must."

"You will try," Anakin stated, igniting his sabre as he immediately back-flipped towards Obi-Wan.

As soon as she saw both their lightsabre's clash, Padmé could feel her legs go numb. She knew this would be a battle to the death, and she didn't know if she had the strength to witness it. Before she knew it, everything became blurry. Padmé fell instantly to the ground, and all went black.

When she woke up, the two men were no longer in sight. Padmé gasped in horror, praying Anakin had been the victor of the battle. She couldn't even fathom the thought of losing him. Once she stood up, she walked towards the dark tower, and entered. Inside, she saw all the slain bodies of the neimoidians and countless battle droids. Palpatine had truly been a double crosser. A living definition of a sociopath.

Looking towards the open shaft, she could have sworn she saw two lighted blades. Panting heavily, she rushed out the other doorway, and gazed across the fiery abyss below her. She saw them. Fighting, even as they made their way up a falling pillar. Obi-Wan was merciless. He looked as though he were about to shove Anakin into the fiery lake below. Padmé wouldn't allow that to happen. Mustering up all her strength, she raced down the ramp of the balcony, hoping she'd get there in time.

Once she made to the rocky ledge, Padmé could barely believe her eyes. The two of them were still fighting, as they stood on a small platform. Which could easily sink into the lake of fire. This was beyond madness!

Seconds later, Obi-Wan back-flipped onto the lower part of the ledge. "It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground!" he proclaimed.

"You underestimate my power!" Anakin roared.

"Don't try it!" Obi-Wan warned, figuring what he had in mind.

Padmé's eyes widened, when she saw Obi-Wan secretly reach for his lightsaber. She knew exactly what he was going to do. He planned on striking Anakin, while he was in mid-air. He would be killed, before he even touched the ground. _She would not let that happen!_ Grabbing her small blaster, Padmé fired three shots. Hitting Obi-Wan from behind.

"Aah!" Obi-Wan cried, as he fell to the ground.

"Padmé!" Anakin shrieked, utterly amazed by her attack.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," she stated, as she slowly approached them.

"Why, Padmé? _Why?!"_ Obi-Wan screeched, as he struggled to face her.

"I won't let you kill him!" Padmé fired.

"He's a murderer, Padmé!" Obi-Wan groaned, holding his back hip.

"You're wrong! Anakin was played by Palpatine. We all were. Only, he's the real victim in all of this. And… I'm the one to blame!" she stammered, feeling her heart sink.

Anakin was taken aback by her words. _Were they true? Had Palpatine been lying to him from the start? Had he been using Padmé to manipulate him all along? Was he merely nothing more than a tool to him?_

"I'm his weakness! It's my fault he turned to the dark side. Obi-Wan, he did this for _love!"_ Padmé explained, fighting back the tears in her eyes. "Anakin would never intentionally harm anyone!"

Deep down, Obi-Wan knew she had a point. Each one of them had been cruelly deceived by this devil. But, regardless of Anakin's intensions, he was still a murderer, and he had his duty to perform. He could not let him escape. "Even if that's true, he's still a monster!" Obi-Wan quipped, as he struggled to stand up. Padmé had indeed wounded him. Fortunately for him, they were only flesh wounds.

"Anakin's not the monster, Obi-Wan. You are!

"How am I the monster?!" Obi-Wan sneered. He never imagined Padmé would side against him. Even through the force, he never sensed this would happen. What could this mean for the future of the Republic?

"Because of your willingness to kill him, without hesitation. Because, you're too blind to see the truth. Anakin was being used by the chancellor. We all were! Sidious is the Sith lord you've been after. He's the one who started this war. Single handedly destroying the Republic," Padmé snapped, as another realisation came to her. "Why do you think Palpatine stopped trying to assassinate me? Once he discovered Anakin and I were in love, he figured I was of more use to him alive than dead."

By now, Anakin was beyond heartbroken. Padmé was right! For weeks, she'd been warning him about the chancellor. Explaining how corrupted his was. Yet, he refused to believe her. He was just too caught up in Palpatine's lies to believe her. Until now. Palpatine never cared about peace, the Republic or the senate. But most importantly, he never cared about Padmé! He never intended to help him save her! Anakin couldn't believe how blind he had been.

"That may be true, but Padmé… I have my duty to perform. Yoda entrusted me with this mission. I handle Anakin, while he handles Sidious. Anakin is Sidious' apprentice. He must be stopped!" Obi-Wan stated, reaching out his hand.

Before she could fire, Padmé's blaster went flying out of her hand in Obi-Wan's. Padmé froze, as he tossed it a few meters aside. "I don't want to hurt you. But, you leave me no choice," he huffed, as he raised his hand.

 _"NO!"_ Anakin cried, igniting his sabre as he leapt off the platform. Slicing Obi-Wan's hand off, as he landed in front of him.

The pain was overwhelming. Obi-Wan screamed in agony, as his detached hand, hit the rocky ground. Not only was badly wounded from Padmé's shots, he had lost his hand. Obi-Wan let himself slump to the ground. There was no point in carrying on. He had been defeated. He could feel darkness overcoming him, as Anakin walked up to him. _"Don't you dare hurt her!"_ were the last words he heard.

Anakin felt both rage and disgust, when he saw Obi-Wan's now pathetic sit both rage. Glancing down, he noticed his lightsabre was now detached from his belt. "Well, _master_ …. you won't be needing this anymore," he winced, picking it up.

"Anakin!" Padmé gasped, running to embrace him.

"I'm so sorry," Anakin whimpered, no longer able to control his tears.

"It's wasn't your fault, Anakin. You were being used. We all were!" Padmé reassured, as he buried his face in her shoulder. "Sshh," she whispered, trying to silence his tears.

Even though he intended to save her, he was the one who had enabled Palpatine to take over. Hurting countless people. Taking their lives in order for Palpatine to help him save Padmé's. When in truth, was something he never intended to do. "You must know this was all for you! I just can't bear the thought of losing you. _I can't!"_

"Ani," Padmé sighed, cupping his face. "I swear to you, I'm perfectly healthy. So's our child. _You're not going to lose me!"_ she exclaimed, as they broke apart.

"I love you… _so much,"_ Anakin murmured.

"I love you too. _More than you know,"_ Padmé replied, kissing him passionately.

Anakin returned the kiss with equal force. But, as much as he wanted to believe her, he couldn't. He knew Padmé's life was still in danger. As long as Palpatine lived, he could still take her life. Anakin knew Yoda would be no match for him. So, it was up to him. He had to kill him. He had to stop this devil from taking over the galaxy! "Palpatine must pay for what he's done! As long as he lives, he's a threat to us all."

Padmé nodded in agreement. "I know."

"Once we get back to Coruscant, I'll drop you off. Then, I'll confront him."

" _No!_ I'm coming with you."

"Please, don't argue! It's the only way I can protect you," Anakin pleaded, cupping her hands.

"Ani, I'm going with you. Like it or not!" Padmé quipped, shaking their hands. "Plus, you're going to need my help. The only way to stop Palpatine, is to catch him off guard. And I can help you do that."

Anakin saw the determined look in her eyes. He always liked her way of thinking. And, he had underestimated her before. Padmé was definitely resourceful. "What do we do?" he asked, smirking.

"Just follow my lead," Padmé replied, smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2:_**

"Master Yoda, I've found him!" Bail Organa shouted, as he glanced down at the fallen Jedi's body. Bail's smile quickly faded, when he saw Obi-Wan's dismembered hand, lying on the ground next to him. The mere sight of it, made his stomach churn. Turning his glance back towards Obi-Wan's body, Bail saw three blaster wounds in his back. _Who… Who in the world could have done this?!_ he thought, as he started down the rocky ledge.

Once he reached him, Bail quickly grabbed Obi-Wan's arms and placed his hand over Obi-Wan's heart. Bail sighed in relief, when he felt a weak heartbeat. "He's _still_ alive! Bring a medical stretcher, quickly!"

Yoda hurriedly hobbled towards the ledge, alongside Bail's men. As soon as he reached the top of the ledge, his heart sank inside his chest. This defeat marked two failures. His and Obi-Wan's. Sidious lives and so does Vader.

"He doesn't have much time. We have to get him to a medical centre, immediately!" Bail exclaimed, as two of his men rushed down the ledge to collect the fallen Jedi's body.

"He looks more dead than alive," one man stated, as he and his comrade hoisted Obi-Wan's body on the stretcher.

"Alive, he _is_!" Yoda exclaimed, as he turned back towards Bail's ship. "That is the only thing to be thankful for."

"Master Yoda," Bail called out, as he quickly ran towards him.

"Yes," Yoda replied, turning to face him.

"I don't know how you knew he was here, but thank goodness you did. We got to him in the nick of time."

Yoda bent his head down, caressing his chin on his knuckles as he clutched his cane tightly. "It was by the will of the force that we found him, senator. Thank the force we weren't too late."

"But, who or what could have done this?" Bail questioned, causing Yoda's eyes to water.

"Mm," Yoda grunted, closing his eyes. Using his force-foresight, he knew exactly who was responsible for Obi-Wan's near demise. "A team effort it was," he answered, opening his eyes.

"Who are they?" Bail asked, excitement escalating in his tone. "Whoever they are, they must be stopped!"

Yoda knew the answer would crush the senator's heart. But, he had no choice but to tell him. It was too dangerous for him not to know. "Senator Amidala and Master Skywalker are the perpetrators of this atrocity."

Bail's eyes instantly widened. _Padmé and Anakin tried to kill Obi-Wan? No, it couldn't be! The two of them would never…_ Bail thought, as his eyes met Yoda's. As much as he wanted to deny it, Bail could see Yoda was speaking the truth. He still couldn't imagine what would cause such caring people to commit such a horrendous crime.

"But, master… I know them. Senator Amidala and Master Skywalker are two of my closest friends. I can't imagine why they would want to harm Master Kenobi."

Yoda sighed heavily, knowing how hard this must be for him to process. It was for him, as well. Weeks ago, Anakin had confided in him. Telling him of a dream that continuously haunted him. He, of course knew best to advise him to let go of all he feared to lose. Yoda now realised that may not have been the best advice for him to give to the young Jedi.

Reflecting back on that day, Yoda remembered the events that occurred after their meeting. As soon as Anakin left his chambers, he was greeted by none other than Padmé Amidala, herself. She had asked to speak with him, privately in her chambers; so they could discuss the chancellor's current activities in the senate.

At the time, he thought nothing of it. Anakin was appointed on the council to keep track of the chancellor's dealings with the senate, and Senator Amidala was his contact. But, he had overlooked one major detail. Obi-Wan had always mentioned how close Anakin and Padmé were, yet he ignored him. As for Palpatine, Yoda had his suspensions about him all along, yet never acted on them. Yoda felt sick to his stomach. His thoughts had driven him to a new revelation. _My fault this is_! How could I have been so blind? When the answer, in front of me it was! Their love for each other was _their_ weakness. The Emperor had used them against one another in his twisted plot to take over the galaxy. Padmé for the senate and Anakin for the Jedi.

More than anything, Yoda wanted bash his skull in with his cane. True, he may not have been the one who harmed Obi-Wan or the Jedi Temple. But, he never once lifted a finger to intervene. If he had, countless lives could have been saved. Because of him, there are three new threats to the galaxy: Darth Sidious and Lord and Lady Vader.

"Discuss this later, we will. For the present, we must focus our attention on Obi-Wan," Yoda spoke, as he ascended the ramp of Bail's ship.

Bail was left alone with his thoughts. If Yoda spoke the truth, that meant Padmé and Anakin were responsible for the attack on the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan must have discovered their involvement, and followed them here. Which meant the friendship he knew was between them was deeper than he ever imagined. _Could they also be in league with the chancellor?_ Thinking back to the meeting the senators had in Padmé's apartment, Bail remembered how much she pleaded for permission to confide their concerns to the Jedi. Stating that there was one in particular they could trust. _Anakin._ Bail then remembered when the met with the chancellor in his office. Anakin was also present as the Jedi's representative.

All these thoughts left Bail's mind spinning. There were still so many unanswered questions. He knew he had to find them, yet he wasn't sure confronting them would be wise. Judging from Obi-Wan's condition, Padmé and Anakin were extremely dangerous to be around. He needed backup. And he knew just who to ask. Bail quickly boarded his ship, and set course for Polis Massa. He knew their extensive medical centre would have the equipment to save Obi-Wan's life. Meanwhile, he sent a hologram message to Mon Mothma, in Coruscant. If anyone could help him, she could.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3:_**

Once they were back in the safety of their apartment, Padmé struggled to guide Anakin towards the washroom. "Ani, please. I need to clean your wounds," she huffed.

This was all too much for him. After all the atrocities he had committed. All the lives he had taken, Padmé was still here, beside him. Pampering him like a child. She truly was an angel, in every sense of the word. He didn't deserve her affection. He didn't deserve to be with her. Yet, here he was, beside her. Receiving more love and concern than ever before.

This was too good to be true. Wait! What if it truly was too good to be real? What if Padmé wasn't really here? What if he wasn't here? What if Padmé's arrival on Mustafar and the duel with Obi-Wan was only a dream? And he was still there alone. Or worse, in the clutches of Sidious.

Gazing into Padmé's dark eyes, Anakin quickly pulled her close, half expecting her to be an illusion that would disappear the moment he touched her. Only, to his surprise, she didn't vanish into thin air. She felt solid. Anakin's heart began racing, when he felt her wrap her arms around him.

"Oh, Padmé!" he cried, letting tears stream down his face.

"Anakin, it's all right," she stated, sensing what was troubling him. "I'm here. You're _not_ alone anymore."

Words that only broke his heart more. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me! he breathed heavily, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Ani, _none_ of this is your fault. You must know that!"

Oh, how he wished he could believe her. If she only knew the things he had done, during the past two days. All the things Darth Vader had done. She'd never speak to him again, much less stay with him. But, regardless of her reaction, Anakin knew he had to tell her everything. "Sweetheart," he spoke, stroking her cheek. "The mere thought of losing you, was what drove me towards Sidious. He promised he would help me save you and I believed him. Only, I never dreamed he would make me do the things I did. He made me pledge myself to him and his teachings. Dawning myself as Darth Vader, Dark lord of the Sith. Then, I was told to raid the Jedi Temple, and kill all the Jedi there, including the younglings. Afterwards, he…" Anakin started to say, as he began choking on his words.

Now, Padmé really wanted to kill Palpatine. If she could wield a lightsabre, she would definitely do so. The mere notion of using their love to manipulate Anakin to do all these horrible things was unbearable. Anakin, her Anakin, had one of the biggest hearts she'd ever known. Now, he was forced to commit murder and become this monster. All to please this demonic psychopath. This was all his fault. He had poisoned Anakin's mind. Making him a puppet, just like he had Dooku and Darth Maul. She could curse herself for not acting on her instincts. The moment she felt a telepathic connection with Anakin was the moment she should have intervened. Why? Why did she choose to ignore her instincts? She could have prevented all this for happening.

"Anakin, Palpatine did this not you!"

"Padmé… I was the one who attacked the temple. I was the one who killed…"

"No! Darth Vader attacked the temple. Darth Vader killed all those people."

"But, I am Darth Vader!" Anakin groaned, each word feeling like poison on his tongue.

"You and Darth Vader are _completely_ different people!" Padmé bellowed. "He is Palpatine's creation, _not_ yours!"

"Angel," Anakin sighed, kissing her forehead.

"He's the monster. You're not!" Padmé confirmed, praying she'd get through to him. "You're a _good_ person. Never doubt that," she pleaded, caressing his hands. Starring into his icy-blue eyes, she could see that she was reaching him. She could see the pain beginning to subside. "Anakin, Palpatine gave you that nightmare. He used me to get to you. I could just kill myself for letting _all_ of these things happen," she exclaimed, tearfully.

"Padmé," Anakin snapped, wiping away her tears with his fingers. "What are you talking about? How could you possibly blame yourself for _any_ of this?" he questioned, flabbergasted by her statement.

"Because, I could feel your pain," Padmé blurted. "I could feel you crying out to me, yet I ignored you. I will never forgive myself for that!"

"You… you could _feel_ me?" Anakin puzzled, as the meaning of her words set in. "What exactly did you feel?"

"Two days ago, I was sitting alone in this room. Trying to think of how to stop Palpatine from ruthlessly taking over the senate. Suddenly, a vision of you entered my mind. I saw you, sitting alone in the temple. I could tell by your facial expression alone that you were hurting. I didn't know exactly what was troubling you, but I knew I had something to do with it. At the time, I thought the council had discovered our secret and were about to expel you from the order. But, the more I focused on you, I realised that Palpatine was the real culprit of your misery. More than anything, I wanted to take you in my arms that very instant, but I knew I was many kilometers away. Eventually, I stood up, walked towards the window and gazed out towards the temple. Hoping that somehow I you'd be able to feel me." Padmé sighed heavily, as her eyes met Anakin's. "In that moment, I wanted to rush to the temple, yet I stopped myself. Figuring that I was over exaggerating. How could I have been so stupid?!" she snapped, hating herself for being so blind.

Anakin was beyond speechless. Padmé had telepathically seen him the exact moment he had seen her. For that one instant, both their minds were connected. Both their feelings were the same. Somehow, Padmé had been able to penetrate his mind, using the force. "Padmé," he spoke, awed by her revelation. "I had a similar vision of you. I saw you, sitting here, alone. I could feel you calling out to me. As I gazed out the temple window, I saw you starring back at me. By your presence alone, I felt peace. Then, the memory of my nightmare flashed before my eyes. Suddenly, I could no longer feel you. I felt as though my heart had been ripped right out of my chest," Anakin stammered, trying to hold back more tears. "I knew I wouldn't be able to _live_ without you," he exclaimed, brushing back a few strands of her hair. "That was when I knew I needed Palpatine's help. I knew that without him, I would lose you."

"Ani," Padmé softly spoke, feeling her own heart breaking as the harsh reality of his words set in. "I'm right here! You're never going to lose me," she confirmed, embracing him tightly.

As he wrapped his arms around her, Anakin felt completely whole. Yet, the threat of Sidious still stood between them. Oh, how he would love to end his life this very moment. Padmé was right. Palpatine had forced him to become Vader, using her as his weapon. Corrupting his mind, with that damn dream. Just to make him his puppet. Then, he remembered what he said to Padmé, after he attacked the temple. _"_ _My loyalties lie with the Chancellor. And with the senate. And with you._ Anakin could curse himself for putting her last. His loyalties lied only with her. He never gave a damn about the chancellor or the senate. Everything he did, had been for Padmé. But, the cost of his actions were overwhelming. He had betrayed the Republic, possibly killed his former master. And single handedly created an empire for Sidious to rule. Anakin could barely believe what monster he had become. He could only thank the heavens above that Padmé hadn't rejected him. That alone, would have been the fatal blow.

"You must know that I would never hurt you," he murmured, breaking their embrace. "I would _never_ use my powers to harm you in any way, shape or form," he bellowed, praying she'd believe him.

"I know you wouldn't," Padmé replied, stroking his cheek.

"I love you more than life itself," he remarked, cupping her face.

If Anakin only knew how much he meant to her. She loved him with every fibre in her body.

"I know things will never be the same between us again, but…" Anakin spoke, only to have Padmé cover his mouth with her hand.

"Darth Vader or not, I _love you_ , Anakin Skywalker. Sometimes, I don't think you realise just how much," she added, cupping his face as she kissed him.

As they kissed, Anakin felt a small object poking against his chest. Glancing down, he saw Padmé's japor necklace. A smile crept across his face, as remembered making the charm for her. "I can't believe you still have this," he beamed, taking the charm in his hand.

"Of course I do. It's my most treasured possession," Padmé beamed, glancing down at the charm. "Worth more than all the jewels in the galaxy."

In the washroom, Padmé quickly removed Anakin's belt. She insisted in cleaning all his wounds. Anakin knew fighting her was a lost battle, so he helped her remove his layers. Stripping down to his bare chest, Padmé gasped, when she saw his wounded shoulder. "What did that beast do to you?!"

"After I punched him, Obi-Wan made a move to retaliate. I quickly turned, ducking to avoid his blow. I should have never taken my eyes off him. Once I turned, he kicked my shoulder. Knocking me to the ground."

 _Bastard!_ Padmé mouthed, as she grabbed a cloth and soaked it in hot water. "This will only sting a little," she warned, as she poured disinfectant onto the cloth.

Anakin quietly moaned, as Padmé gently stroked his wound. After she finished, she grabbed a small swab. Dipping it in a goblet of disinfectant, she used it to softly stroke Anakin's wounded eye.

Anakin smiled, almost in laughter of the close attention she was giving him. "You really don't have to do that," he chided. "That scar has been there since Darth Ventress. It will probably never fully heal."

"Regardless, hot, molten lava and scars do not mix," Padmé winced. "I don't want it to get worse. There, all done. Now, you need a hot bath," she stated, glancing at his mechanical arm. Even though it had been ages since Dooku took his arm from him. She still cursed him for it. She hated the face he had deprived Anakin of his arm. Depriving him of a normal human life. "Here," she started, as she placed his glove back on his hand. "You'll need this."

Anakin smiled, as Padmé carefully placed his glove on his hand. No matter what the situation, she always knew how to cheer him up. They truly were soul mates. Now, in more ways than one. Now, he knew Padmé was also force-sensitive. "I still can't believe you saw me," he spoke, causing her to look up.

"How do you mean?"

"Padmé, you must realise what this means. You were able to use the force!" he exclaimed, happily.

"What?" Padmé winced, jokingly. "Ani, how could I possibly have that power? I'm not a Jedi."

"How else could our minds have been linked? How else could we have shared the same vision of each other?"

This was way too overwhelming. Padmé could hardly fathom his words. "Perhaps, we had similar rumination _s_ ," she started, only to see his head shake.

"No, sweetheart. It's more than that. You have the force too. You have that power in you."

His words were far too overwhelming. Padmé could hardly breathe. As much as she tried to deny it, part of her knew Anakin was right. There was no other logical explanation for their telepathic connection. But, if she were somehow able to connect herself to Anakin, did that mean she had other force powers as well? Perhaps, she could help him destroy Palpatine, once and for all.

Once Anakin bathed, he changed into his nightclothes and headed towards their bedroom. He was shocked to find that Padmé wasn't in bed. He checked the adjoining room, only to find it empty. _Where was she?_ he thought. Walking down the stairs, he sighed in relief when he saw her brushing her hair, as she stood on the balcony. "There you are," he smiled, causing her to smile back.

"You look much more refreshed," she laughed, glancing over his beautiful figure.

"I wish I felt as good as I look," he quipped, almost chuckling.

"Ani," Padmé started, walking towards him. "We're in this together. And together, we'll get through this," she stated, taking his arms in hers. "We will stop Sidious and bring peace back to the Republic. Even if it means starting an empire to do so," she finished, setting her head against his chest.


End file.
